Draft-rigging.



W. 0. HENDRYX.

I DRAFT RIGGING, APPLICATION FILED JAE. 2, 1908.

910,81 6. Patented Jan. 26, 1909.

xix a attain of devices such as heretofore employed has tion is to provide means located entirely WILLIAM G. HENDRYX, OF

JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA.

DRAFTRIGGING.

Application filed January 2,

the line of draft has usually extended transversely of the means employed for fastening the draft timbers to the sills and as a result these fastening means soon become broken or loosened. Another objectionable feature been the fact that the sills and draft timhers have necessarily been weakened by extending bolts or bars through them.

The principal object of the present invenoutside of the sills and draft timbers for fas tening them together, the fastening means being extended at acute angles to the upper and lower faces of the sills and timbers so that the line of draft extends almost in the direction of the lengths of the bolts and the danger of breaking or loosening the bolts is therefore reduced to the minimum.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter more fully c escribed and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings is shown the preferred form of the invention.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of sills and draft timbers having the present improvements applied thereto, one of the timbers being partly broken away. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 1. Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are detail views of the respective top plates of the fastening means. Fig. 7 is a similar view of one of the bottom plates.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, A, A designate the sills of a car, and B, B designate the draft timbers disosed directly thereunder. Each of the sills A has a series of preferably three recesses a, b, and c, in the upper face thereof Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 26, 1909.

1908. Serial No. 409,003.

while each of the draft timbers is provided in its lower face with preferably four recesses e, f, g and it. The sills and draft timbers are designed to be positioned with the recesses of the draft timbers directly below the corresponding recesses in the sills and with the recesses in each sill directly oppoiste the corresponding recesses in the other sill. The means employed for fastening these sills and draft timbers together consists of a series of top plates 1, 2, 3, and 4 and another series of bottom plates 5, 6, 7 and 8. The top plates 1 and 4 are designed to be seated within the recess a and in the rear of end sill C and upon the deadwood D which is of reduced height to form a recess (1 and each plate is provided adjacent its ends with L- shaped slots 9 extending thereinto from one longitudinal edge and bolt receiving apertures 10 are also formed within the end portions of the plate close to the other longitudinal edge thereof. The plates 2 and 3 are provided with L-shaped slots 11 and 12 extending into the end portions thereof from the longitudinal edges, the longitudinal portions of the slots 12 being longer than those of the slots 11 for the purpose hereinafter set forth. These plates are designed tobe seated within the recesses b andcrespectively. Each of the cross plates 5, 6, 7 and 8 is provided near each end with a pair of openings 13 and 14 for the reception of fastening bolts. This has been clearly shown in Fig. 7 which illustrates the plate 5 which, however, is similar to the plates 6, 7 and 8.

To fasten the sills and draft timbers together the cross plates are placed within their respective recesses and their end portions will project beyond the outer faces thereof. The plates 1 and 5 and the plates 4 and 8 are then clamped upon the sills and draft timbers by means of tie bolts 15 which are extended through the openings 10 and 14 and extend at right angles to the upper and lower faces of the sills and beams. Tie bolts 16 are then extended from the slots 9 in plate 1 downward to the openings 14 in the plate 6 and another set of tie bolts 17 is located within the slots 12 of plate 2 and extends downward diagonally to the openings 13 in plate 5. Tie bolts 18 connect the plates 2 and 7, the same being disposed within slots 11 and openings 14 thereof and tie bolts 19 connect the plates 3 and 6, the end portions thereof being located within the slots 12 and openings 13. The end plate 4 is connected I to plate 7 by bolts 20 extending into slots 9 and openings 13 and the lower plate 8 is connected to cross plate 3 by means of tie bolts 21 extending into slots 11 and openings 14. Each bolt has a beveled washer 22 placed under the head thereof and also under the nut employed for tightening the bolt so that there is no danger of either the head or the bolt bending or breaking off when the parts are tightened. By forming the slots 11 and 12 of different lengths it is possible for the diagonally disposed bolts'to be secured in different vertical planes and to cross as indicated in Fig. 1 without causing them to become bent.

It will be seen that by providing fastening means such as shown and described the sills and draft timbers are held tightly together I and independent longitudinal movement of any one of them is absolutely prevented because of the novel disposition of the bolts and cross plates. The forward pulling exerted upon the draft timbers is transmitted longitudinally through the bolts 17, 19 and 20 to the top plates and the sills engaged thereby and should the draft timbers be pulled or forced in the reverse direction power will be transmitted therefrom through the other bolts 16, 18 and 21 to the sills. Inasmuch as all of these bolts are arranged at acute angles to the upper and lower faces of the sills and draft timbers and the line of draft is practically in the direction of the lengths of the bolts there is absolutely no danger of the parts becoming bent or broken as the result of excessive strains and loosening of the parts is prevented. All of the bolts are located within convenient access so that any one or more of them can be replaced in the event of wear, etc.

With draft rigging such as heretofore del vised it has been necessary in the event of the breakage of one or more of the bolts to l transfer the load from the car in order that the damage may be repaired, this causing a considerable loss of time and labor. the present invention, however, this objectionable feature is eliminated inasmuch as all repairs can be made without the necessity of removing the load. It will be noted by referring to Fig. 1 that the bolts 20 are extended through the end sill C that these bolts can be readily removed therefrom if necessary.

What is claimd is: V

1. In draft rigging the combination with draft timbers and sills contacting therewith; of cross plates seated within the sills and draft timbers respectively and extending beyond the side faces thereof, said projecting portions of the plates being slotted, and tie bolts engaging the slotted portions of the pladtes, said bolts being straight from end to en a 2. In draft rigging the combination with draft timbers and sills contacting therewith; of cross members engaging the sills and draft timbers respectively and extending beyond the side faces thereof, said projecting portions having openings therein, and tie-bolts engaging the projecting end portions of said members and seated within the openings, said bolts being straight from end to end.

3. In draft rigging the combination with draft timbers and sills contacting therewith; of cross members engaging the sills and timbers respectively, diagonally disposed tiebolts seated at their ends in the slots and engaging the projecting portions of the cross members, said bolts being straight from end to end and crossed, and an end sill constituting an abutment for one of the end cross members.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afi lxed my signature 1n the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM C. HENDRYX.

Witnesses:

M. H. LONG, BERTHA Y. FARNHAM. 

